Nan Yan remained diligent in her cultivation. Her Seven Buddha Karma Scripture grew stronger when facing evil forces. If possible, forming her Golden Core in the Demon Sealing Array, where demonic energy was abundant, would make it as solid as bedrock, far surpassing cores formed elsewhere.
As they arrived with Ji Yang, they could see over a dozen Golden Core cultivators floating above the sea. Each had formed their array and concealed their auras, circling to one side. Soon, they spotted Mu Zhanting and Yin Ya observing the situation from behind a tree.
“You’re late. What’s wrong with Ji Yang?” Mu Zhanting asked.
“He used the Yellow Springs Mirror, depleting his spiritual power. He needs to rest for a moment,” Nan Yan replied.
Mu Zhanting examined Ji Yang briefly, agreeing with Nan Yan’s assessment. “He looks good like this, quite stable.”
“…”
In reality, they were far from stable. Among them, Mu Zhanting and Yin Ya had just formed their Golden Cores. Although Nan Yan’s cultivation technique was potent against demonic practitioners, she was still at the Foundation Establishment stage. As for Ji Yang… no one had seen him in action, but he was proficient in various arts, including arrays. The inner workings of the Demon Sealing Array were intricate and ever-changing; without him, their mission would likely fail.
On the other side of the sea, demonic cultivators from Si State stood ready. In their midst was a young man with a hint of ferocity between his brows. Irritated, he kicked a nearby demonic cultivator and snapped, “We’ve been looking for half an hour with a heaven-bestowed compass. Why haven’t we found the entrance yet?”
The demonic array master stumbled, his face strained as he replied, “Forgive me, Young Lord. This Demon Sealing Array was created by the old Daoist Venerable Sui Hanzi using the entire power of Daosheng Heaven. Few array masters in the world understand its inner workings. Even a provincial lord would need time to enter, let alone your humble servant.”
“Then hurry up! If you can’t find the entrance within an hour, I’ll break one of your legs!”
“Yes, yes, of course!” The array master, sweating profusely, focused all his energy on the compass to locate the entrance.
Nan Yan, who had been observing from afar, curiously glanced at Ji Yang. The Si State demonic cultivators had brought a legitimate array master with late Golden Core cultivation, yet even with the compass, it was taking so long. Ji Yang, however, had found a place to transmit qin music into the array after just a brief observation.
Sensing Nan Yan’s gaze, Ji Yang turned to her. “A-Yan.”
“Hmm?”
“They’re moving too slowly. Secretly send a burst of spiritual energy to the reef exposed in the northeast. It will trigger a resonance with the array’s entrance.”
Nan Yan couldn’t help but think that Ji Yang, sitting in his wheelchair with a feather fan on his lap, looked particularly cunning and strategic.
Following his instructions, Nan Yan discreetly sent a burst of spiritual energy towards the reef. As it struck, the sea rippled slightly, and the compass in the demonic array master’s hand immediately reacted, pointing in a specific direction.
Overjoyed, the array master exclaimed, “Young Lord, it’s over there!”
Li Chi focused on the point of spiritual light indicated by the array master and tossed out a cyan scroll. As it left his hand, the scroll unfurled, revealing a powerful character for “Release” written on it.
Moments later, the character detached itself and floated into Li Chi’s palm, transforming into a talisman. The scroll then changed, its surface becoming a misty doorway.
“The release order is effective for three days. Quickly enter and find the Master Uncle,” Li Chi commanded before stepping through the door, followed by his demonic cultivators.
As the remaining seven or eight demonic cultivators prepared to enter, suddenly, an arrow wreathed in Sanskrit light symbols and flame shot towards them from afar.
“Watch out!”
The arrow came so swiftly that the Golden Core demonic cultivators could only shout a warning before it tore through one cultivator’s protective demonic energy, piercing his heart.
The struck cultivator looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, where the Buddhist power from the wound rapidly consumed his spiritual energy. After a brief moment of shock, he fell into the sea, leaving a red stain on the surface.
The other Golden Core demonic cultivators, astonished, formed a demonic array to guard the entrance. They shouted angrily, “Who dares interfere with Si State’s affairs?”
Their answer came in the form of a figure radiating killing intent.
“I’m not just here to interfere; I’m here to kill you all!” the figure declared.
The demonic cultivators, initially enraged, paled as they recognized the newcomer.
“How can it be you?!”
The cause of the great war between Chen and Si States was the assassination of Chen State’s previous Young Lord by Si State’s demonic cultivators. This enraged Chen State’s Dragon Lord, who ignited the conflict. For years, cultivators from both sides had been locked in bloody battles across the Qitian Plains.
After the death of Chen State’s Young Lord, the Dragon Lord, despite opposition from the elders, forcefully appointed a mysterious new Young Lord. This new Young Lord had achieved terrifying results on the battlefield, slaying countless demonic cultivators. He had claimed the top spot for military achievements at both the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages.
If Li Chi hadn’t entered the array yet, they might have been able to face Mu Zhanting. Now, however, intimidated by his infamous reputation, their spirits faltered.
“We can’t retreat! Otherwise, the Young Lord will make our lives worse than death!” Remembering Li Chi’s brutality, the demonic cultivators shuddered but steeled themselves. “There are seven of us and only one of him. Even if we can’t kill him, severely injuring him would give our Young Lord an advantage in the Mountain Sea Forbidden Decision!”
With that, the demonic cultivators’ auras surged. They brandished axes, halberds, hooks, and forks, each displaying their unique abilities. The leader, wielding a snake spear, attacked with thunderous force. However, when the spear clashed with the fierce flames surrounding Mu Zhanting, it instantly melted into liquid metal.
“Impossible! Why is his spiritual power suddenly countering my demonic energy?!”
Emboldened by his advantage, Mu Zhanting charged forward fiercely. “Surprised? It’s because I have a sister!”
A demonic cultivator with penetrating eyes quickly fled the battle, scanning the surroundings. Soon, he spotted a female Buddhist cultivator wearing a veiled hat standing near the shore.
Shrouded in an illusion barrier, the Buddhist cultivator remained unnoticed despite her presence. She was rolling prayer beads, channeling Buddhist incantations into Mu Zhanting from afar, causing the demonic cultivators to retreat steadily.
This explained Chen State’s recent desire to ally with Mao State. Although Mao State’s Buddhist cultivators weren’t adept at warfare, their presence at the front lines empowered Chen State’s cultivators with Buddhist energy, allowing them to suppress demonic cultivators of the same level.
“Hold on! I’ll kill that Buddhist cultivator,” shouted one of the demonic cultivators. Believing Buddhist practitioners to be weak in combat, he rushed towards Nan Yan at great speed. As he reached for her, he snarled, “How dare you interfere with Si State’s affairs! The Young Lord just lost a cauldron; tasting a nun wouldn’t be bad either!”
Nan Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. Nearby, Yin Ya, who was setting up an illusion, transmitted a message: “It’s an early-stage Golden Core demonic cultivator. Can you handle him alone?”
“It’s not a concern,” Nan Yan replied.
With that, she flicked the prayer beads wrapped around her arm. A Buddhist light in the shape of a swastika bloomed where she stood. Without dodging, she raised her palm to strike.
“Evil spirits and heretics, witness the Tathagata… Purification!”
As the Seven Buddha Karma initiated its purification, the demonic cultivator felt a tremendous Buddhist force crash into him. His internal demonic energy melted like snow under the scorching sun. His body flailed like a leaf tossed in ocean waves, bones cracking throughout.
How could this be? Isn’t she just a Buddhist cultivator?
Before he could ponder further, Nan Yan’s prayer beads chimed softly. She pursued him, whipping out her long string of beads to ensnare his neck. With a swift yank, she hurled him back to the shore like a meteor hammer, smashing through seven or eight trees as thick as two people’s embrace.
Mu Zhanting, thinking the commotion on his side was intense, turned to see an even greater disturbance on the shore, leveling a stretch of sandy ground. He asked Yin Ya, who had come to assist, “How brutal… Has A-Yan been cultivating Buddhism all these years?”
Yin Ya glanced at the demonic cultivator’s miserable state under Nan Yan’s assault. “I’ve wondered about that for a long time too. It seems she’s harbored a deep hatred for demonic cultivators since leaving the Filthy Valley.”
“Why?”
“It’s because of those Shen Gu Sect demonic cultivators. They caused your disappearance, and Ji Yang was forced to jump into Yin Zhu’s nest. For all these years, she’s been fixated on avenging herself against demonic cultivators. She used to dismember them; this is an improvement since you all returned.”
As they spoke, the remaining demonic cultivators in the air cried out in agony. Those who tried to flee separately found themselves trapped in Yin Ya’s illusions and were swiftly dealt with.
“A-Yan, leave the demonic cultivators barely alive,” Ji Yang called out.
Nan Yan approached, dragging a demonic cultivator with broken limbs who was barely clinging to life. She tossed him at Ji Yang’s feet. Ji Yang placed his hand over the cultivator’s crown, closing his eyes lightly.
“What are you doing?” Nan Yan asked.
Ji Yang remained silent. Moments later, the demonic cultivator under his hand convulsed, let out a scream, and fell unconscious.
“Soul search?” Nan Yan’s tone grew slightly tense, seemingly disapproving.
Soul searching damaged a cultivator’s three hun and seven po souls. It was said that cultivators who died this way would be reborn with impaired souls, becoming imbeciles in their next life.
While most cultivators knew the technique, they rarely used it except in extreme circumstances. Buddhist cultivators strictly forbade soul searching on anyone.
Ji Yang didn’t deny it. “Yes, it’s soul searching. Would you like to see what good deeds he’s done in his memories, A-Yan?”
What good deeds could a demonic cultivator have done? Considering his earlier threat to make her a cauldron, his past misdeeds were likely numerous.
“Let it be for demonic cultivators,” Nan Yan said. “Unless they’re utterly vicious, I’d rather not see you use such methods. Let’s go.”
The four of them hurriedly entered the array door created by the release order, stepping into a misty realm. When they landed, they found themselves on solid ground.
They were surrounded by an endless expanse of gray mist, their divine sense blocked, able to perceive only within a radius of about 100 feet.
Returning to familiar territory, Yin Ya felt somewhat emotional. Nan Yan had to apply three layers of Buddhist restraints to significantly weaken the array’s suppressive power. He explained, “The Demon Sealing Array is similar to the Filthy Valley. The seal on the sea surface is ring-shaped. The closer to the inner ring, the more powerful the cultivators assigned to guard the array. Only cultivators are on the sea surface; the demon race is all sealed beneath the sea.”
“What’s the situation beneath the sea?” Nan Yan asked.
Yin Ya explained, “It’s layered. The deeper you go, the more powerful the sealed demon race becomes. All the royal bloodline demons are sealed in the ninth layer of the deep sea.” He cut his wrist and dripped a drop of demon blood on each person’s hand. “Nascent Soul cultivators are sealed on the core islands above sea level, responsible for killing high-level demons attempting to break the surface. The seawater in the Demon Sealing Array is heavy water. Once you fall in, unless you quickly find an island to climb onto, it’s extremely difficult to float. If you fall in, you’ll likely encounter demons lurking below the surface. Use the demon blood to claim you’re from the Celestial Fox Clan, and no demon will trouble you.”
Nan Yan approached the shore of their island and dipped a finger in the water. Instantly, she felt an icy chill run up her fingertip, sensing the water trying to pull her down.
“Second Brother, is this the legendary weak water? The kind you can’t float in if you fall in?”
Yin Ya emphasized, “I’m warning you not to cause trouble, especially if you fall into the Heavenly Crafts Thousand Locks Array below. Don’t try to struggle or unlock it. Wait for me to catch a demon fish to replace you.”
“What’s that?”
Ji Yang explained, “Daosheng Heaven combined the strengths of various Dao lineages into a complex array. The Heavenly Crafts Thousand Locks Array comes from the Mechanical Armor lineage. It’s said that trapped cultivators instantly lose their spiritual power, hanging on the lock array like mortals until they die of exhaustion. Demons fare better, but humans drown quickly.”
His words reminded Nan Yan, who immediately took out several water-repelling pearls from her spatial pouch and distributed them. “Ten years of cultivation would be wasted if we drowned. How embarrassing that would be.”
Fully prepared, they flew towards the inner ring islands. Apart from the crashing waves, all was deathly silent. Occasionally, they spotted small reef islands surrounded by unidentifiable broken bones floating in the water.
After flying about 70-80 miles, Ji Yang suddenly said, “Look.”
Following his gesture, Nan Yan saw a small island about 200 feet wide emerging from the mist to their right. A massive bronze pillar stood on the island, with chains winding down to bind a cultivator’s skeleton. The skeleton was frozen in a posture of desperately crawling toward the sea, clearly yearning for freedom even in its final moments.
Though the cultivator was nothing but bones, Nan Yan could still sense the remnant pressure it exuded.
“This must have been a Nascent Soul realm lord who couldn’t endure and died here.”
Nan Yan couldn’t help but worry about her uncle, whom she had never met. Noticing her concerned expression, Ji Yang softly reassured her, “According to the inscription on the bronze pillar, this Nascent Soul cultivator was imprisoned here for 400 years before dying of old age. Your uncle is a Void Tribulation cultivator with a lifespan of a thousand years. He’s only been sentenced to guard here for twenty years, so he should be fine.”
Meanwhile, Mu Zhanting stared at the bronze pillar and asked, “A-Yan, do you want to free your uncle directly?”
Nan Yan pondered briefly, “I dare not forgive my uncle’s past massacre on behalf of the deceased—”
Ji Yang immediately grasped his meaning: “You mean we intercept the release order from the Si State group and use it to unseal Nan Yi?”
Nan Yan exclaimed in shock, “Can we do that?!”
Ji Yang explained, “Yes because even if Nan Yi is released, to re-sentence a Void Tribulation cultivator to the Demon Sealing Array would require a new imperial decree. Don’t forget, the previous emperor… passed away years ago, and now the young lords of various States are vying for the throne. Until a new emperor is chosen, unless the Mystic Regent of Daosheng Heaven personally intervenes, no one can imprison a Void Tribulation cultivator here again.”
Nan Yan considered this, then said, “At this point, although there were circumstances behind the incident back then, my uncle’s massacre cannot be easily forgiven. Even if I want to release him, I dare not presume to forgive on behalf of the deceased.”
However, she reflected, capturing a Void Tribulation cultivator was incredibly difficult. The fact that Nan Yi willingly submitted to punishment, enduring the pain of lost love for his crime of massacre, showed he was a person who dared to take responsibility.
“You make a good point,” Ji Yang replied. “But times change. Nan Yi’s guilt doesn’t mean he must atone here while the true mastermind roams free. Why don’t you talk to him after we seize the release order?”
“Alright,” Nan Yan agreed.
Mu Zhanting gritted his teeth, “I don’t understand what you’re agonizing over. Everyone’s heart grows a bit crooked; shouldn’t you look out for your own family first? That idiot from Si State wants to free the vice sect master of their Tianxie Dao. They must have invested a lot in this release order. Since we’ve encountered them, if we can’t confront Daosheng Heaven directly, can’t we at least thwart their plans? We should go for it.”
The Chen-Si conflict lasted for years, especially the struggle between Void Tribulation cultivators, which could significantly alter the balance of power. Since Daosheng Heaven issued the release order secretly, it likely resulted from a covert agreement. Even if they intercepted this order, Daosheng Heaven could only silently swallow their loss, even if they objected.
“Do we have a way to track Li Chi and his group?” Nan Yan asked.
“All Void Tribulation cultivators are confined to the innermost ring. If we head inward, we’ll eventually encounter them.”
…
An hour after they entered the Demon Sealing Array, a group of demonic cultivators arrived belatedly. In a carriage pulled by Foundation Establishment cultivators serving as beasts of burden, Li Chi’s sister, Li Mian of Si State, peeked out. Her face immediately turned ashen with anger.
“What… what happened here?! Summon all Nascent Soul cultivators from Si State staying in Yin State to surround this area. I want to see who dares to interfere with Tianxie Dao’s grand plan!”